severe

adjectivecommon in dialogue

United Kingdom//sɪˈvɪə//
United States//sɪˈvɪɹ//
Canada//sɪˈviːɹ//
Canada//-vɪɹ//

Very bad or intense.

adjective

1
Very bad or intense.
In the severer cases of hookworm the patient sometimes has an appetite for soil, paper, hair, clay, chalk, starch, and other unpalatables.
Parkinsonism, at its severest, presents itself as an akinetic amimia (as opposed to certain cortical disorders which are amimic akinesias).
Phoenix and Lubbock are both caught in severe drought, and it is going to get much worse. We may see many such [dust] storms in the decades ahead, along with species extinctions, radical disturbance of ecosystems, and intensified social conflict over land and water. Welcome to the Anthropocene, the epoch when humans have become a major geological and climatic force.
2
Strict or harsh.
a severe taskmaster
3
Sober, plain in appearance, austere.
a severe old maiden aunt
severe clothing

Etymology

From Middle French, from Latin severus (“severe, serious, grave in demeanor”).

Forms

comparative: severer, more severe
superlative: severest, most severe

several · A number of different; various.severance · The act of severing or the state of being severed.Severance · A surname.

severe · Very bad or intense.

Severe · A surname.severed · Separated, cut off or broken apart.severely · In a severe manner; with severity.

The neighbouring pages — Alphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.